After nearly 40 years, the NBA All-Star Weekend is back in Indianapolis with events taking place throughout the city from Thursday, February 15th through Sunday, February 18th.
In addition to having the 24 best basketball players in the world on the court at one time, there are many other entertaining storylines throughout the weekend that will be interesting to follow.
First off, four players will be making their all-star game debut, all from the Eastern Conference. New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Toronto Raptors Forward Scottie Barnes, Orlando Magic Forward Paolo Banchero, and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey are all in the game for the first time.
LeBron James will also make history by playing in his NBA-record 20th All-Star game.
The 1985 All-Star Game marks the last time that the All-Star Game was in Indy, and a quick look at the game or the box score clearly shows just how much the event has changed over time. In the 1985 All-Star Game, the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 140-129, but that is a small part of the story. In the game, the teams combined for 77 free throw attempts. The 2023 All-Star Game on the other end had a total of four free-throw attempts. While free throws are not always an accurate reflection of defense, the insane discrepancy highlights that the All-Star Game for a long time was played differently than the way that we see it today.
It should still be a fun weekend for sure. Mac McClung will try to become only the fifth person to win back-to-back Dunk Contests, while Stephen Curry will take on Sabrina Ionescu in the first-ever NBA-WNBA 3-point contest. The game will also feature seven players who were named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team marking the 75 greatest players in the league’s history. It should be an entertaining weekend for sure.
